One of These Nights
by THE L0NE WANDERER
Summary: The journey over, Team RNJR rests, or at least try. Ruby awakens after a recurring nightmare, and roams the halls of Haven to find her first friend training. Steps previously not taken are made, and truths revealed. -ONESHOT- MADE FOR 9 DAYS OF LANCASTER


**One of These Nights**

 **Disclaimer: I will now use demonic incantations to get the rights to RWBY, with no negative repercussion!**

 ***1 Hour later***

 **Rooster Teeth owns RWBY, and I do not, and I might have caused a satanic invasion. I'll get working on stopping that now.**

 **AN: Well, 9 Days of Lancaster is about again. So of course I have to add something to it. I'm almost done with the next chapter for 9 Months to Live, eventually gonna finish the next chapter to From Dust We Are Born, so put your pitchforks and torches down, and enjoy this little oneshot of Lancaster fluff till then.**

* * *

… _._

 _j…..e_

 _Jaune_

 _Jaune_

 _JAUNE!_

Ruby's eyes snapped open. The same nightmare had been happening ever since the fall of Beacon. A void white with Pyrrha calling out for Jaune. Ruby still remembered the one night she was awoken by it and found the boy slaving away at training. Ruby always knew that Jaune was never the most skilled in combat, but Jaune was trying so hard to keep up with them. Every fiber in her body that night wanted to hug Jaune and tell him he was doing his best, that it wasn't his fault, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to interrupt the boy. She knew Jaune and Pyrrha were close, so she reasoned the boy just needed to mourn in his own way.

Ruby looked at the time on her scroll.

 _11:23._

Great. It was almost midnight.

Seeing no sense of trying to fall back asleep, Ruby decided to explore some of Haven Academy.

As she wandered the empty halls of Haven, Ruby couldn't help but admire the building. It was very different then Beacon, with its metallic castle, concrete structures, and stone statues of past glory, no. Haven was something else, feeling more compact, less uniform. Where Beacon would have it shining with gleam, Haven seemed to have that feel a home, not everything spotless, bits and pieces of lying around, and personal furniture seemed present in each classroom. However, Ruby's rising curiosity about Haven hit their peak when she caught sight of a sign pointing towards the training arena. Did they have weapons on display? How did they train? Did they have the rocket lockers? The petite Reaper rocketed ahead towards the training arena, her semblance projecting her at high velocity.

However, as soon as she was in earshot, she heard the familiar ring of a sword making contact with metal. Ruby slowly went for Crescent Rose, bringing it out in its firearm mode, cocking back the bolt. Where her actions that of paranoia? Maybe. But paranoia these days seemed to be common sense.

Ruby peeked cautiously into the arena with her scope. There, she saw a familiar figure in white armor training with a sword and shield.

There, Jaune stood in the arena, attacking the combat droids like he was possessed. His actions were so different from the time they spent in Beacon. Before, Jaune held his sword with fear, caution, and would hardly use it, and when he did, he failed it around in hopes of stabbing something. Now...Ruby actually saw purpose in his motions. He was by no means perfect, but he was no longer the boy she had doubts in his combat abilities. Jaune's midnight training was paying off, as he swung his blade with more power than before, tearing through steel and wires with mighty swipes of the upgraded form of Croceas Mor. However, Ruby couldn't help but gasp as a robot managed to get a solid hit on him, catching Jaune's attention

"Who's there? Who is it?" He called out, panting heavily.

Ruby sighed. Might as well show herself. "Hi Jaune…" Ruby said sheepishly.

Jaune looked at the revealed huntress in training with an awkward look. "Ummm...how much of that did you see?"

"Not much….You really improved though from what I saw." She called out.

Jaune paused for a moment "Why don't you come down here so I don't have to holler up there."  
Ruby was hesitant "You sure? I mean, you seemed kinda in the middle of something…"

The knight sighed "No, I'm kinda done for the night. Just...sorta don't have the drive right now."

Ruby thought for a moment. However, she guessed now would be a time to talk with Jaune, really talk to him. She was worried for him honestly. They haven't really truly held a conversation since the fall of Beacon, and it made her fear for her first friend, especially with the loss of Pyrrha. So Ruby went over to the knight, and leaned against the wall "So, what has you awake at this hour, Vomit boy?"

Jaune rolled his eyes at Ruby's nickname for him "Well Craterface, I could ask you the same thing."  
"Couldn't sleep, so I decided to look around Haven a bit." She deflected

"I guess you could say the same. Decided I might as well work towards bettering myself. God knows I need it." Jaune said bitterly.

Ruby bit her lip. Should she tell him? But she needed to talk to Jaune about this. She bit her lip and braced herself "I saw you. That night in the woods. Watching the video of Pyrrha. You aren't alone. I just wanted to tell you that. Nora, Ren, me, we're all there for each other."  
The knight looked at Ruby, with shock in his eyes. Tears were beginning to show at the bottom of her silver eyes, and Jaune decided to let her know about him. All of him.

Jaune laid on the floor, sweat dripping of him. "You wanna know something Ruby?"

"What?" She asked as she sat next to him.

"I was never supposed to be in Beacon."

"Jaune, I thought we-"

"No, I literally was not supposed to be in Beacon. I had my transcripts faked, snatched my family's old sword and shield, and went there with some fantasy that somehow I'd make it and be a hero like my ancestors always made out to be."

Ruby remained quite.

"Kinda funny, actually. Imagine my shock when Ozpin put me in charge of a team, the guy who faked his way in and didn't even know how to fight and was lucky to be alive after the initiation, to lead a team full of capable amazing people."

"Wait, so when you were dealing with Cardin…" Ruby said slowly

"God, how small Cardin thing look now." Jaune sighed " Cardin overheard me telling Pyrrha one night about how I faked my way into Beacon and-She-Pyrrha is the reason I'm even alive. She offered to train me in the middle of the night, just so I didn't suck as bad. And I told her no the first time. My own damn pride refused to let someone help me. I had it stuck in my head that this needed to be something I had to do alone. And sure enough, Cardin started blackmailing me, and it just seemed like a downward spiral to me, to the point where one night I was ready to turn myself in."

"So, let me guess, Pyrrha convinced you otherwise."

"To quote you on this, Nope." Jaune said, lightly chuckling "It was actual you that convinced me that I belonged at Beacon. I was ready to just give up and resign myself to being a failure, and you told me nope. I then finally stood up to Cardin, and took up Pyrrha on her offer to train me." Jaune sighed "I never did actually thank you for that, Ruby."

Ruby blushed "Oh...umm, don't sweat it. I mean, it was nothing really…"

"Eh, I'm just a blonde screwup. Go back to sleep Ruby." Jaune said, getting up and offering Ruby a hand up.

The reaper took the hand and stood up. "Are you sure Jaune?"

The Arc looked at her with a look of honest gratitude. "I needed to talk to someone, and you've done enough. Like I said back in the village, you gave me the chance to act. Thank you Ruby. Go back to sleep. I need to train more."  
The Rose looked at the night hesitantly, then, in the heat of the moment, ran over and pecked the Arc on the cheek, before rocketing off "Don'tHurtYourselfVomitBoy"

Jaune barely registered what happened. Touching the cheek lightly, Jaune looked in the direction Ruby went "Back at ya Crater Face… and be safe."  
Tightening his grip, the Arc returned to training into the night.


End file.
